Many users have avoided Windows 8.1 due to its “Metro” interface that replaced the original start menu since Windows 7. With the new update it appears that you will be able to directly boot to the desktop rather than the Start Menu Metro Interface as seen above.

Microsoft experienced an outage of its cloud storage service which affected users using Cloud Saved Games on its Xbox Live service. Microsoft has stated that everyone affected by the outage will be provided a 1 month extension to their current Xbox Live subscription. This offer compensates for the two day outage that occurred over the weekend. Microsoft stated that they were working around the clock to get the service up and running again and apologizes for the outage.

Four teens from Iowa who reputedly ‘met’ on XBOX Live have absconded with one another. Corey Sunderman, who is 16 years old, and his friend Austin Boggs, who is 13, are missing along with Jazlyn Visek, 15, and Skie Floyd, also 15. The boys had a small run-in with police on Friday night after they snuck out of Corey’s house to go skateboarding, and were brought home by police because they were out after curfew. Sunderman’s mom, Crystal, said that she took all of the shoes and put them in a bag in her room, expecting that the boys would not be able to run out again and skateboard without proper footwear. Instead of trying to sneak out again to go skateboarding, however, it appears that they got crazier ideas in their heads, grabbed some boots out of the garage, and were discovered to be missing on Saturday morning when Tony, Corey’s father, got up to go to work and found that his wife’s laptop and $400 from his paycheck were also mysteriously absent, along with a ’97 Jeep that had been parked outside the family’s home.

Halo 4 is coming, and just like it’s last two predecessors it’s going to have it’s own custom themed Xbox to match. Yesterday during Comic-Con, Microsoft unveiled the Limited Edition Halo 4 Xbox. As shown above, the bundle includes the Xbox 360, two matching controllers, a wired headset, and Halo 4 itself.

Today, Microsoft held a mystery press conference in Los Angeles to announce their newest iPad competitor, the Microsoft Surface. Unlike their previous attempt at CES 2011 where they displayed a tablet PC running Windows 7, Microsoft has stepped up to the plate and delivered a real tablet running their soon to be released Windows 8 OS. While there are many benefits to this, one being a real reason why they are making Windows 8 so touch-screen versatile, there are also a fair share of reasons why this will ultimately fall flat similar to the Microsoft Zune.